Qi Wu felt numb all over, his legs so weak it was as though he had lost all feeling in them.
He bit the tip of his tongue, hoping the blood would remind him to stay calm, but his blood was no use against the gu insects.
"Take them upstairs."
The clan leader turned and left. Eight Miao women hauled Qi Wu and the other four upstairs.
The eight Miao women still looked aged. Seeing how obediently they followed the clan leader's orders, Qi Wu found something familiar about their manner.
The way these Miao women obeyed the clan leader suggested they were under the influence of gu, just like him and the others. An idea formed in Qi Wu's mind. These Miao women were probably still human.
They were dumped in a corner, all five pressed close together, while the eight Miao women surrounded them.
"What kind of gu insect is this? It's so damn powerful, it's put me under general anesthesia. Even talking takes effort now."
Wu Zhong struggled with all his strength but couldn't budge. "What a waste, not using something this powerful for medicine. I bet you could cut me open right now and I wouldn't feel a thing."
Gu Yanze glanced at Wu Zhong. "How can you still be joking at a time like this?"
Lin Chi whispered, "They don't seem to want to kill us."
He had good reason to say that. They were all numb from the gu insects now. If the women wanted to kill them, they could wipe them all out right then, but they hadn't.
Qi Wu knew they were waiting for Chu Qingjiu. He was the only one missing before all the players were gathered.
Changing skins was probably more important to the clan leader than killing them.
"I'm running out of patience. If I can't find Chu Qingjiu, I'll use the skin of one of you instead."
There was a hint of urgency in the clan leader's voice. This skin was already damaged, and Qi Wu had cut it earlier.
Since there was such a beautiful, flawless skin among these people, why couldn't she use it?
As far as she was concerned, men were all shallow creatures who only cared about looks. Besides, Chu Qingjiu really did have a fine appearance.
What amused her most was that Qi Wu actually liked Chu Qingjiu.
It was the first time she had ever seen a man fall for another man. How fascinating.
Since they had feelings for each other, all she had to do was catch one. Why worry that the other wouldn't take the bait?
"Qi Wu, I like your skin too. If Chu Qingjiu doesn't come, you'll die."
"I won't let you die."
Chu Qingjiu murmured softly, gently stroking the Faceless Puppet's torso. A shadow flickered through his deep, uncanny eyes.
He hadn't stepped out immediately. Instead, he had kept watching, listening to everything the clan leader said.
The clan leader wanted his skin and was using Qi Wu to lure him out. If he didn't go, she would take Qi Wu's skin.
Chu Qingjiu had been worried at first, but he soon remembered the puppet he had specially prepared.
In all honesty, he wanted to turn Qi Wu into his puppet. He simply hadn't found the right opportunity.
He could easily wait until the clan leader was about to hurt Qi Wu, then turn Qi Wu into his puppet to ensure he wouldn't die.
Then he could keep Qi Wu trapped at his side with a high-minded excuse like, "I did it to save you."
Qi Wu wouldn't hate him then, let alone be disgusted by him.
In Chu Qingjiu's brief twenty-three years of life, no one had ever willingly become a puppet under someone else's control. Not once.
How could a proud young man like Qi Wu ever willingly let himself be controlled and imprisoned by him?
Even after hearing Qi Wu say "I love you" hundreds, thousands of times, he still couldn't fully believe him.
Did someone so sensitive and suspicious even deserve love?
Beads of blood seeped from his fingertips. His expression cold and unreadable, Chu Qingjiu turned Qi Wu into his puppet.
"Will you hate me?"
He murmured softly, drawing the puppet into his arms as though he were terribly afraid.
The puppet's cold, lifeless face touched his. He gently nuzzled it, as affectionate as a kitten rubbing against its owner, revealing a vulnerability he had never shown Qi Wu.
The puppet's face began to change, slowly becoming identical to Qi Wu's.
After a long while, his lips slowly curved into a sickly, delighted smile.
"A puppet won't hate his master."
Chu Qingjiu peered out through the gap in the door.
Qi Wu seemed to be suffering some kind of agony. His face had gone deathly pale, leaving everyone watching utterly bewildered.
The fingers braced against the wall strained until his knuckles turned white, his veins standing out clearly. He looked as though he was at the very limit of his endurance, about to erupt.
Wu Zhong looked at the clan leader and demanded, "What did you do to him?"
The clan leader merely smiled, unconcerned. "I didn't do anything. Perhaps there's something wrong with him?"
Her beautiful red eyes narrowed slightly. As she watched Qi Wu's face twist in pain, her smile grew more alluring.
Qi Wu felt as though every bone in his body was being crushed. Even the numbing effect of the gu insects did nothing to ease it.
The pain seemed to come from his soul, as though a thread had pierced its depths and was slowly winding around it. The pain clung to him like a disease burrowing into his bones, making it impossible for him to remain calm.
He abruptly turned his head and spat blood. His hand clutched the clothing over his chest, crumpling it into a mess. Every uneven fold seemed steeped in his agony, a heart-wrenching sight.
"Cough, cough..."
The pain in his soul nearly made him pass out. Sheer willpower kept him from collapsing. Otherwise, who knew what he would suffer at that woman's hands?
At the same time, Chu Qingjiu's breathing also quickened from the pain.
He clutched his clothes, his fingers taut in graceful curves. The puppet was held tightly in his arms, its appearance growing more and more like Qi Wu's.
As its name suggested, the Empathic Puppet linked the senses of master and puppet. Chu Qingjiu, however, could choose to sever that connection.
But he didn't.
So becoming his puppet meant enduring this much pain.
Tears brimmed in Chu Qingjiu's eyes. His face was as pale as paper, his slender body looking as though a gust of wind could topple him.
He braced himself against the wall, biting hard on his lower lip and stifling his breathing.
His blood-flushed lips made his face look even paler. Sweat trickled down his temples, where veins bulged, yet his brilliant eyes held a determination he had never shown before.
He stubbornly experienced everything Qi Wu felt, as though punishing himself for his selfishness and for taking matters into his own hands.
At last, the immense pain swallowed him whole. The taste of blood surged upward, and he jerked his head aside and spat out blood!
"Cough, cough..."
The loud noise alerted everyone outside. The clan leader turned warily and demanded, "Who's there?"
A pale, slender hand reached out through the half-open door, its knuckles sharply defined and its veins bulging, as though its owner were enduring some terrible pain.
Trembling, Chu Qingjiu smeared away the blood at his lips with the back of his hand. The vivid blood left a winding streak across his fair face, as though all his suffering had been etched into that mark.
"Oh, your sickly older brother is here."
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